Finance Director At Action Against Hunger USA

Action Against Hunger-USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network, which provides humanitarian relief in over 40 countries worldwide in the sectors of nutrition, health, water/sanitation, and food security. Action Against Hunger-USA, an independent NGO, currently manages operations in 7 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Haiti and Somalia. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $92 million in programs, and approximately 1,700 staff based in in the various country offices and the Head Quarter in New York City and Operational Centre in Nairobi. Additional growth is anticipated.

About the Country Program in South Sudan.

Action Against Hunger has been operational in South Sudan since 2002 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where Nutrition, Health, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH and Protection are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience.

Action Against Hunger currently operates in 4 different regions with an anticipated 2023 yearly portfolio of 24Million USD of emergency and resilience building programs, research and innovation. We have a country team of about 200 staff working out of 5 field offices across South Sudan. Our main donors in South Sudan are: USAID/ BHA, ECHO, GAC, SIDA, GFFO, UNICEF, and WFP and others.

1. Job Summary

The Finance Director is responsible for financial management, and financial and grant reporting, consistent with Action Against Hunger financial management framework and local legislation. As a member of the Senior Management Team, Finance shares in the overall responsibility for the direction and coordination of the Country Office and will participate in all key decisions related to finance. The Finance Director will be accountable to the Country Director for overseeing the finance function and co-accountable with other senior leaders for risk management. She/he will ensure internal controls are in place, managing the finance team, partner finance oversight, training, treasury management, financial planning/budgeting, and reporting. The finance director will design and align all finance policies and procedures and lead in ensuring proper financial management and reporting on all grants received by country office. Maintaining and managing controls & procedures to safeguard and account for all assets, and fund of the country office.

The Finance Director role’s purpose, engagement and delivery is:

1. Purpose: To ensure sound and transparent financial management by providing accounting and financial oversight that complies with donor regulations, Action Against Hunger’s financial management frameworks, and local finance and logistical legislation
2. Engagement: The Finance Director will collaborate closely with the Programs Director, Consortium Director, Operations Director, and other departmental heads within the country office. Externally, they will coordinate financial aspects of the project with program partners, fostering and maintaining positive working relationships to ensure the success of the program
3. Delivery: The Finance Director will develop and implement tools for monitoring and evaluating the financial aspects of the program, and produce timely, high-quality reports. They will manage the financial systems of the Country Office, provide the Senior Management Team (SMT) and all budget holders with monthly updates on budget variance analysis, ensure that target KPIs are met, and establish and regularly review effective systems for adequate financial management and control.

4. Essential duties

   1. Planning and Budgeting:
   • Oversee all aspects of project financial management, including financial systems implementation, budgeting, expenditure tracking, financial reporting, accounting, and cost share tracking and reporting
   • Develop high quality and timely financial, budgetary and reports to donors, and Action Against Hunger Regional Office, Head Quarters, and the country office management team
   • Support the Country Director (CD) in the management /administration of the Country Office resources and its sub-offices including (a) the formulation of country financial plan and resource allocation, (b) providing effective support and guidance to the Senior Management Team and other key program staff during planning and allocation exercises; (c) monitoring implementation of donor agreements and resource utilization. Highlight variances, provide analyses and recommend resolution or reallocation of resources
   • Provide input to the production of all proposals to ensure that all overhead costs are adequately covered.
   • Ensure the correct level of budget authority exists within the Country Office and Field Offices
   • Ensure all offices receive adequate support to operate efficient accounting systems, including timely receipt of monthly budget variance analysis by budget holders, timely answers to queries and scheduling tasks and deadlines.
   1. Financial Accounting, Reporting and Control:
   • Manage the Country Office financial systems and provide the SMT and all budget holders a monthly update on the budget variance analysis
   • Ensure with the SMT that systems are in place for the control of all assets, funds, equipment, property, and facilities; submit timely financial reports to CD, Regional Office and donors as required
   • Ensure that effective systems are put in place, and regularly reviewed, to allow adequate financial management and control including Annual accounts and tax statement preparation; Accounting and management information systems; Cash and cash flow management and control in particular gain/losses on currency exchange; Expenditure procedures, especially around procurement; Documentation of all controls and procedures; Finance training for staff in the field and partners as necessary; Availability of funds for Field Offices and the Country Office
   • Monitor accurate and timely submission of financial reports and attachments to members, donors and government regulatory agencies
   • Ensure quarterly effort reporting is prepared with major variances discussed with SMT.
   • Coordinate submission of control reports, respond to findings and recommend resolutions or action plans
   • Lead and participate in the development of finance policies and procedures to be able to maintain a well-financially controlled environment in both development and emergency contexts
   • Coordinate and assist CD and the Internal Controller during any internal or external audits
   • Ensure monthly Budget Follow Ups (BFUs) are prepared, reviewed with SMT, and submitted to Regional Office regularly.
   1. Financial Reporting
   • Monitor completion of financial reports for awards. Ensure proper accounting and closing of books upon receipt of completed reports and documents from Field Offices and partners
   • Provide guidance to finance and non-finance staff and coordinate efforts to ensure compliance with donor agreement requirements and conditions.
   • Work with budget holders to estimate funds request on a timely basis to ensure resources are in place for carrying project activities; and that reporting requirements and deliverables are met
   • Ensure Country Office treasury operations are adequately managed
   • Ensure that donor financial reports are aligned with donor requirements
   • Prepare monthly financial and analytical report and ensure submission of all required reports to RO
   • Prepare audited financial statements after the year end organize all statutory and donors audit as per set time frames
   1. Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development
   • Responsible for appropriate staffing within finance teams
   • Responsible for making sure all Finance staff understand and are able to perform their roles in an emergency
   • Manage Finance team; define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly
   • Responsible for the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff.
   • Manage the performance of all staff in the Finance work area through staff development strategies and Performance Management Systems. Establish result-based system and follow up
   • Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measurable objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews and fair and unbiased evaluations.
   1. Risk Management
   • Participate in the preparation of Monthly Risk Management Register in consultation with Risk and Compliance Manager in accordance with the Action Against Hunger Risk Management Policies.
   • Undertake the financial risk assessments of all new partners and monitoring of on-going risk in coordination with SMT.
   • Identify and effectively manage all key risks, especially financial, related to delivering the Country Office program. Develop mitigation plans at proposal stage
   • Support CD in keeping analysis of the internal and external risks and threats and appropriate mitigation measures up to date.

5. Supervisory Responsibilities

HOD Finance, Consortium Finance Managers, Risk and Compliance Manager

1. Gender Equality Commitments

   1. Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.
   2. Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
   3. Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
   4. Value and respect all cultures.

2. Fiscal Responsibility

   1. The position will be a budget holder of all finance related functions.

3. Physical Demands

   1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
   2. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

4. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.

Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

1. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

2. Master’s degree in commerce, Business Administration or Accounting with ACCA or equivalent required
   1. A minimum of 10 years senior management experience in an International NGO environment, including experience in the development of strategic and operational support services plans and their implementation in a professional work environment over a sustained period

3. Required Skills & CompetencieS

4. Excellent understanding of business and financial planning including strategic modelling
5. Excellent analytical skills – the ability to analyze complex financial data and design and produce effective management information
6. Experience of reviewing and drafting Finance policies, procedures and guidelines and of developing and implementing systems.
7. Ability to plan and organize a substantial workload that includes complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities in both development and complex emergency contexts.
8. Willingness and ability to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
9. Demonstrated credibility with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of an organization
10. Excellent understanding of financial systems and procedures
11. Competent level skills in core IT applications, particularly MS Office.
12. Strong communication and interpersonal skills
13. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
14. Leadership skills, including the ability to supervise and motivate qualified professional staff with strong personal value systems.
15. Analytical, decision making and strategic planning skills and the ability to handle multiple priorities.
16. Ability to coach, mentor, delegate appropriately and provide developmental guidance to supervised staff and proven success in building capacity of staff.
17. Team building skills.
18. Proven experience in building and retaining a small, motivated and proactive team and working collaboratively with colleagues and providing support and advice as necessary,
19. Ability and willingness to travel extensively across Somalia without restrictions to hard-to-reach areas to visit offices and partners.
20. Understanding of Action Against Hunger vision and mission and a commitment to its charter and values